“I often felt rage about the future that lay ahead of my beloved cousins. Like many other highly educated young Syrians, they had few opportunities and many were conscripted into the military. Even at a young age, I could see the crushing impact the dictatorship had on young hopes and dreams.”
This reflection from one Syrian writing recently in The National powerfully expresses the frustration and helplessness felt by millions of people who lived under the Assad dynasty. Too many people, young and old alike, led lives that were constrained by an inequitable state that looked as if it would endure forever. Yet, exactly a month ago, Bashar Al Assad’s government fell and the country entered a new – if uncertain – era.
As Syrians begin the important work of building new institutions, the nation is renewing its relationships with regional neighbours and other foreign powers. This week, Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Al Shibani made his first trip to the UAE after taking office, having also visited Saudi Arabia and Qatar. Another important step was taken yesterday when a Syrian Airlines plane with 145 passengers bound for Sharjah became the first international commercial flight to leave from Damascus since December 8.
Such steps are a major change from Syria’s decades of Baath party rule. Indeed, the system that crumbled so spectacularly last month offers important lessons about leadership, governance and the requirement to offer citizens a brighter future.
Before the 2011 civil war, the state maintained a repressive form of stability built on violent foundations. Syria’s dynastic system was defined by self-preservation and corruption. It excluded most of its citizens from decision-making and embraced a faux-revolutionary resistance culture that was strong on rhetoric but offered few tangible prospects or opportunities to the vast majority. It was a state stuck in time.
The results of this poor leadership and ossified state structure could be seen in the dire straits of the Syrian economy even before the uprising and civil war began. According to research from the Barcelona Centre for International Affairs, oil production more than halved between 2002 and 2011, and the government’s target for agricultural self-sufficiency proved unattainable. The World Bank found that whatever pre-war economic growth there was “did not translate into broad-based economic and political inclusion and further transparency and civil liberties”.
Too many people, young and old alike, led lives that were constrained by an inequitable state that looked as if it would endure forever
A state constructed on such deficient leadership cannot last forever, and it is unsurprising that in the end very few Syrians were willing to fight and die in its defence. Now that this edifice has collapsed, an opportunity has emerged to offer the Syrian people the realistic prospect that the future will be better than the past.
The optimism that greeted Mr Al Assad’s departure is a powerful force and was prominently on display during recent new year’s celebrations across the country. Syrians keenly understand the fragile and unpredictable nature of the political transition that is taking place. If they are given reason to believe that it will eventually lead to security, more jobs, investment, freedom of movement and many of the other things other countries take for granted, then they are more likely to give the new government and institutions time to bed in.
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Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 7.0L / 100km
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
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Barbie
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What sanctions would be reimposed?
Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:
- An arms embargo
- A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
- A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
- A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
- Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods
'The worst thing you can eat'
Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.
Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines:
Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.
Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.
Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.
Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.
Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
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